AURORA, Colo. -- As Aurora reservoirs drop to the lowest levels ever recorded, the City Council is looking at dozens of options that may eventually become part of Aurora's drought management plan.

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The council was is considering four levels of drought management -- each with its own restrictions.

The first level is the least restrictive, but city officials said it was highly unlikely that the city will receive enough water from snowmelt to place the city's plan at level one.

City officials told council members that it is likely that Aurora will be at level two or three once snowpack amounts are determined at the end of March.

Some possible restrictions that are under considering discussed include:

Lawn Watering:

Level 1: Two times a week
Levels 2 - 4: No lawn watering at all

Hand Watering Of Trees and Shrubs:

Levels 1 - 3: Allowed
Level 4: Not allowed

New Lawn Installation:

Levels 1 - 4: Not allowed

Pools:

Level 1: No restrictions
Level 2: No residential pools
Level 3: No residential, non-city and non-school pools. Only four out
of seven city-owned outdoor pools would operate.
Level 4: No pools at all

Car Washing At Home:

Level 1 and 2: Yes, with shut-off nozzle
Level 3 and 4: No washing at home

Commercial Car Washes:

Level 1: Best Management Practices (BMP) for 30 percent water savings
Level 2 BMP for 50 percent water savings
Level 3: City still working with car washes to determine a response
Level 4: Not allowed

Indoor Water Use:

Encourage conservation through rebates and education. No restrictions in use.

During its Wednesday night session, the City Council also discussed decreasing the number of water taps by 25 percent at level 3 and eliminating new taps at level 4.

Council members considered an impact study that claimed the total economic impact of new development in Aurora is $1.2 billion, including 5,300 construction-related jobs.

New development in Aurora in 2002 used just 1.5 percent of the city's water resources, while irrigation of outdoor landscaping to existing development used 45 percent of water resources.

The City Council will review these and other options at the end of March when firmer snowpack levels will be available. It will make final decisions concerning restrictions on April 14. The drought management plan will go into effect May 3.

The city's reservoir levels stand at 27 percent, the lowest ever seen. Reservoir levels are expected to drop to 20 percent by the end of April before snow runoff begins in May.